HAL 9000 is not real. Despite its fame from 2001: a Space Odyssey, the Arthur C. Clarke novel-turned-Stanley Kubrick film (both in 1968), the talking sentient computer that could interact with astronauts in space never actually existed.

Spring football is nearing a close. There are three more spring games Saturday (Iowa, Michigan State, Rutgers), and that will mark the end of the Big Ten’s spring season. With most eyes already on the 2014 season, I decided to rank my top five offensive players (I took some liberties with that number) who should be receiving more attention entering the season.

Earlier this morning, we released BTN’s 2014 primetime football selections. The six games to air in prime-time this fall will include the 2013 Big Ten Champion Michigan State, Ohio State, Michigan and Big Ten newcomers Maryland and Rutgers. The day prime-time schedules are released is always exciting, because it’s like the unofficial start of football season. What most people may not realize is how extensive the research and planning process is prior to finalizing and announcing the selections.

On Thursday, the NCAA Board of Directors is expected to OK a new model of how its organization is run. Bottom line: major changes appear to be coming, as it appears the NCAA is trying to get a lot of this done to thwart multiple lawsuits vs. the Indianapolis institution and also to unplug the union movement.